Learn how cultural differences might be impacting your working relationships and gain the skills and knowledge to overcome these challenges.

Australia and the USA have many things in common, some obvious, some more subtle. Both are large land masses, both predominantly English speaking, both with an ancient native population, both relatively recently settled by European cultures. Both are democracies and both are meritocracies. Both cultures tend to be fairly materialistic and both tend to be open to new ideas and risk in business. Australians, like Americans, are hard-working and results-orientated.

So far, so similar. But there are also big differences between the two cultures. Not necessarily in a negative way – but differences that should be observed by anybody hoping to do business….

The makeup of the workplace today is very different to that of the past in terms of gender, ethnicity, attitude and behavior. The older generation can be credited with ushering in diversity. But what diversity actually means has changed – and will most likely continue to evolve as the last baby boomers retire and Generation Z enters the workforce….

You can’t beat face-to-face contact for furthering cross-cultural relationships. But sometimes it’s not always available. All over the world, the only, or the main contact people have with their remote co-workers is by conference call, or email. While technology is a wonderful thing, if this is the only method of communication you have, vital nuances can be lost in conversation, leading to the breakdown in relationships or even the failure of projects. Here are our top tips for making the most of working remotely….

When working with different cultures, it is important to understand what drives people to make decisions. Is it profit? Time? Relationships? Not only this, but it’s essential to know who makes the decisions, and what role others play. In autocratic cultures like those of Latin America, France or the Arab world, decisions tend to come from the top, while in countries with flatter management styles, like the Netherlands, Australia or Israel, consensus is important. On the other hand, some of the most apparently egalitarian cultures can have a surprisingly top-down style when it comes to making a decision. In other situations, the corporate culture may override any local cultural traits. There will always be variations on cultural stereotypes, but here here are a few general examples of decision-making style around the world.
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If we were to talk stereotypes, Americans may see Germans as too rigid and formal, while Germans may regard American as loud, over-familiar and sloppy in business. But are the two cultures really that far apart? Realistically speaking, no. Both cultures value teamwork, openness, honesty, cooperation, family values and hospitality. Both foster creativity and entrepreneurship, […]…

Conflict at work is wearing and demoralizing. But how to manage it – and how to perceive it – depends on the culture of the individuals concerned. Here’s our 7 tips for managing conflict in a multicultural team. …